It just isn’t worth it. At this point I feel like if anyone doesn’t understand that our culture normalizes the idea that some women, particularly women, aren’t worth protecting from a type of sexual violence that turns them into a corpse then they just don’t want to and since I have to live with the reality of that fact either way there’s just no point wasting my time arguing about it.
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I had the police try to claim that I wasn’t acting in self defence when I was attacked. It was probably part of the reason why the CPS dropped the case (and that and the CPS’s institutional transphobia might be part of the reason why I have such a big problem with Keir Starmer, but that’s off topic).
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Back on topic:
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Yeah. The sentencing remarks you quoted above mention a lot of irrelevant stuff (“intelligent, resourceful, talented”) so it’s probably standard court speak but as Rob says, it’s weird that the media have fixated on the “blameless” part. The two minute BBC radio news bulletin I caught last night played that small part of the sentencing remarks containing the word “blameless” and it jumped out at me. I’m sure they could have picked another bit.
Anyway, I hope this leads to some positive changes within the police force but I’m not holding my breath.
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With no sarcastic intent, how long is a “life sentence” there? I note many “enlightened countries” feel keeping someone locked up forever is morally indefensible even if they are Jack the Ripper’s clone so I am curious at what point he is likely to be paroled.
No maximum, but not indefinite. The judge decides the sentence, which the home secretary can overrule (Priti Patel is authoritarian even by British home secretary standards, but this is about a cop so it could go either way).
Again, the earliest he can be paroled will be set by the judge. Usually it is a minimum of 15 years. Anyone who is noty considered to be a threat can be released halfway though their sentence, but it is extremely unlikely that this arsehole will get that. The press will tear apart any home secretary who would allow that.
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He’s been given a whole-life tariff, so (as I understand it) unless he successfully appeals, or a home secretary intervenes, he won’t get parole at all. There’s a list on Wikipedia of all UK prisoners ever to have had whole-life tariffs, if anyone wants to see what sort of crimes are involved.
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but, the whole point of the sentencing hearing was to decide whether Couzens would be eligible fior parole after “well in excess of 30 years” or simply not at all. And the judge reasoned that “not at all” was more appropriate.
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I am so sorry.
Your experience sounds like insult + injury… trauma + more trauma.
I hope your lawyer / solicitor did a decent job of pushing for justice. (I have no idea how functional the justice system is where you are.)
I hear you.
Please take care, and thank you for being here now.
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Thank you for the info.
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They will be looking at the commanders of that unit any day now. It takes a certain group culture for that crap to spread. In the US, one of the more memorable examples was the Ramparts division of the LAPD, back in 1998.
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Cressida Dick was the officer in charge during the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, when she personally gave the order to chase him, despite knowing that there was a good chance he wasn’t the person they were looking for.
Somehow I doubt this is what she resigns over.
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Yup. Jean Charles de Menezes’s execution on the floor of a tube train would be damning enough but at this point it’s a litany of failure and she should have been sacked long ago. Could a successor fix the fundamental problems with the Met? Doubtful, but she has lost the trust of so many victim’s families that at least put someone in charge who is willing to accept there is a problem.
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Cressida Dick is being offered as a sacrifice in the hope that worse people will continue to get away with their crimes. It is worth remembering that there are plenty of men just below her who are probably even more complicit than she is. Look at them as well, and continue down until you get to the first year students at Hendon.
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Oh absolutely. It’s a peculiarly British thing (or maybe not so) where these institutions like to close ranks to protect their own. Happens time and time again and the families spend decades seeking restitution… but I feel like I’m repeating myself.
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